1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, to a thin profile door assembly for a cooking appliance that creates a substantially seamless transition between the door assembly and adjacent kitchen wall structure.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Ovens and their general construction are well known. In general, an oven includes a cooking cavity having an opening which is selectively closed by a door assembly. Usually, ovens are of two general configurations: the ovens are either built-in units, i.e. built into a cabinet or wall, or the oven is free standing and, in most cases, is provided with a cooktop. Ovens that are built into a cabinet, wall or other similar structure are typically provided with a trim piece that overlaps adjacent cabinetry to establish a smooth transition between the oven and the adjacent structure.
Ovens are generally provided with a door having a square-shaped peripheral edge that extends over, at least in part, the trim piece. By overlapping the trim piece, the door creates a stepped transition between the oven and adjacent structure. That is, edge portions of the door overlap the trim piece forming a step-like appearance. When constructing a door, it is necessary to establish or maintain a gap between the peripheral edge of the door and the trim piece. The gap allows the door to pivot between open and closed positions. The overall size or width of the gap is dependent upon the location of a pivot point of the door. Certainly, the gap must be at least large enough to allow the square-shaped edge of the door to clear the trim piece.
In the highly competitive field of home appliances, consumer preferences are a major factor governing the construction of a given appliance line. More specifically, it has been found that consumers equate certain features of an appliance with product quality. One such feature has been found to be the overall distance a wall-type oven protrudes or extends beyond an adjacent structure. Oven doors require insulation to limit heat conduction from the oven cavity and reaching external oven surfaces. Thus, oven doors, particularly those incorporating a viewing window, will necessarily require a minimum thickness. In order to maintain a minimal distance from an external surface of the door and the trim piece, a low profile hinge must be employed. However, employing a low profile hinge requires the presence of a substantial gap between the oven door and the trim piece.
Another feature that consumers equate with product quality is the size of the gap between the door and the oven, principally when the door is in an open position. The size of the gap is of particular concern in oven designs that employ a door that pivots about a substantially vertical axis. Thus, if an appliance is provided with a thin profile door, the existence of a large gap necessitating the use of a low profile hinge may give certain consumers an impression of low quality.
Therefore, despite the existence of various oven door arrangements in the prior art, there still exists a need for a low profile oven door. More specifically, there exists a need for a low profile oven door that pivots about a vertical axis, while maintaining both a minimal distance between an outer door surface and surrounding trim and simultaneously ensuring a minimal gap exists between the oven door and the remainder of the oven itself.